Self-service equipment such as automated teller machines (ATMs), self-service kiosks, photocopiers, vending machines, self-service internet terminals, self-service fax machines and the like are sometimes vulnerable to unauthorized access or tampering. If security has been breached in this way it is important to detect the situation as soon as possible and to shut down the equipment in order to limit any damage or loss.
Previous approaches to dealing with this issue have involved using housings for the self-service equipment or sub-assemblies of that equipment. If unauthorized access to the housing occurs typically there is damage to the housing or the housing is replaced incorrectly or with dissimilar material. These changes are then detected visibly by users of the equipment, field operators and the like. This approach provides a good first line of defense but it relies upon users and field operatives to make their own judgments and take quick action which is not always possible. Also, if a housing is breached and replaced using a matching housing the situation is very difficult to detect by the uneducated human eye.
Another approach has been to use electronic circuits associated with such housings so that those circuits are broken in the event of unauthorized access. However, this approach is relatively complex.
A particular problem relating to self-service equipment is the need to replace sub-assemblies within the equipment in the event of break down of sub-assemblies, upgrade of those sub-assemblies or for other reasons. In that case there is a need to authenticate the replacement sub-assemblies to ensure that security has not been breached and to ensure that correct sub-assembly equipment is being used. At present manual methods are used to provide such authentication and these methods are time consuming and difficult to keep secure.
An object of the present invention is therefore to provide a secure enclosure for protection of one or more sub-assemblies in a self-service apparatus which overcomes or at least mitigates one or more of the problems mentioned above.